1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tobacco harvesting machine that is capable of running down a row of standing tobacco stalks, and means for splitting open the stalk while still standing, so as to impale the stalk onto a horizontally disposed tobacco stick, and then severing the stalk from the ground so as to successively fill up the tobacco stick with a load of tobacco stalks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some earlier patents have issued on tobacco harvesting equipment for use in mechanically loading the tobacco stalks onto the tobacco sticks, so as to take some of the manual labor out of the task of harvesting tobacco. The majority of these patented machines are quite old, while the few recent ones are quite complex and expensive.
One early patent is the De Leon U.S. Pat. No. 1,055,023 which describes a tobacco harvesting machine that is first adapted to automatically sever the growing tobacco stalk near the ground, and then spear the stalk by impaling it upon a suitable impaling needle, which is merely shown in phantom view without an explanation of how the needle is supported in the machine. This machine has a pair of pivoted stalk-engaging heads or clamps which support the severed stalk so that the impaling needle can be thrust through the stalk.
The Nunnelley et al U.S. Pat. No. 1,090,747 shows a tobacco harvesting machine on which is positioned a horizontal tobacco stick that is furnished with a spearhead on the front end thereof. The front end of the stick is supported by a pair of spring guide arms that engage the spearhead. There is a fixed cutter or knife blade behind the spearhead, and there is a reciprocating packer which has a series of longitudinally spaced saw teeth so that one tooth of the packer engages behind the tobacco stalk and forces the stalk onto the tip of the spearhead and starts to move the stalk rearwardly of the tobacco stick, and in so doing the cutter or knife blade severs the stalk from the ground.
The Pence U.S. Pat. No. 1,217,495 shows a tobacco harvesting machine very similar to the previous patent. This equipment affords means for mechanically spearing and stringing the tobacco in the field. A V-shaped cutter or knife is positioned near the front of the machine for severing the stalk. The machine also has a floating spearhead that is held by a pair of spring clamps. A horizontal tobacco stick has its forward end adapted to fit into a cavity at the rear of the floating spearhead. The machine carries master hooks which pass around to the back side of the stalk, and then, as a lever is pulled, the hooks grasp the stalk and force it against the point of the spearhead causing the spearhead to pierce through the center thereof. The clamps which hold the spearhead will be caused to spring open so that the stalk may pass between the clamps toward the other end of the tobacco stick. As the stalk is pierced by the tobacco stick, the knife will engage the stalk below the stick and the stalk will be severed from the ground.
The Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,137 describes a tractor-driven tobacco stalk spearing apparatus, and particularly a floating type spear and cooperating means for moving and guiding the tobacco stalk in a straight line motion to the opposite end of the spear. There are two cutting discs for severing the stalk from the ground. There are also a pair of conventional gathering chains which have spike projections thereon to engage and bite into the tobacco stalks above the cut line. There is a complex floating spear assembly that is positioned in front of a tobacco stick, and this spear element serves to pierce the stalk. There are also two helical conveyors which cooperate with the floating spear element for moving the stalks down the tobacco stick.
The Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,587 describes a motor-driven vehicle upon which is mounted a power-driven circular saw for cutting the tobacco stalks. A magnet is fixed in the platform of the machine for engaging a metal spike that is conical and hollow. A tobacco stick is supported in the hollow conical spear and braced at the opposite end against graduated steps. The stalks would have to be manually forced onto the spear and onto the sticks.
The Middleton U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,607 describes a tobacco harvester that is drawn by a tractor, and there are guides at the front of the machine for leading the tobacco stalks into a circular saw which severs the stalks near the ground. A pair of belts grasp and convey the severed plants upwardly and rearwardly. The tobacco plants are laid over as they rise, and then dropped downward, free of the belts. There is a synchronizing system which produces one increment of rearward motion of the horizontal conveyor. A plurality of chains are equipped with parallel sets of pushers which intermittently move the tobacco plants rearwardly under direction of the synchronizing system, thereby impaling the butts of the stalks in sequence on the point of a spear that is fixed in a horizontal position between vertically related plant-centerng rollers.